Former US President Donald Trump, during an event on December 5, predicted he would receive 150 million votes from the public in the 2024 US presidential election. Trump, the frontrunner for the Republican presidential nomination, was appearing at a Fox News event before a friendly audience in Davenport, Iowa, the state where the party’s nominating contest kicks off on January 15, the Independent reported.Â
The former US president said, ”We have never seen the likes of what we’ve all done together. It’s not just me, it is everybody here and millions and millions. I think it’s not 75 million people, I think it’s 150 million people, even more than that. Who doesn’t want to see strong borders and a strong military and low taxes and low intern states and go out and buy a house?”
At the event, he also said that he would not become a dictator if he becomes U.S. president again except “on day one”, after warnings from Democrats and some Republicans that America was in danger of becoming an autocracy if he won the 2024 election.
The Republican presidential candidate had to be asked twice during a televised town hall event in Iowa to deny that he would abuse power to seek revenge on political opponents if re-elected to the White House.
“No. No. Other than day one,” Trump said when asked to deny he would become a “dictator” if he wins the November election. Trump said on “day one” he referred to, he would use his presidential powers to close the southern border with Mexico and expand oil drilling.
Trump, seeking a second White House term in a likely election re-match with Democratic President Joe Biden, has frequently promised “retribution” on political opponents if he gains power again.
Trump was US president between 2017 and 2021 and has refused to concede that he lost to Joe Biden in the 2020 election.
Since then Trump has spread false claims that the 2020 election was stolen from him, a conspiracy that fueled the deadly insurrection by Trump supporters at the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021. Trump’s election lies also form a cornerstone of his current White House campaign.
Trump, however, is narrowly ahead in opinion polls despite facing some criminal trials including one for election subversion. Mr Biden’s age is a particular concern with voters and there have been calls from some Democrats for him to step aside for a new candidate.